"Just getting here was amazing in itself, but now that I'm here
I want to pitch well and want to show everybody who I think I
can be up here," he said.

Cramer (1-0), a left-hander who turns 31 next month, started his
pro career in 2003 in the Tampa Bay system. Cut by the Rays, he
was a substitute high school math teacher and worked in pipeline
maintenance while out of baseball in 2005-06.

Cramer played in an independent league in 2008, then began this
year in the Mexican League.

"There were times I felt this was an uphill battle, that I may
never get over that hump," he said. "I never doubted my own
ability. I had a lot of internal confidence. I felt like I was
good enough. That's what made me persist. I wanted to challenge
myself to get to the next level."

Cramer held the Royals to one run and four hits in 5 1-3
innings. He struck out four and walked one.

Cramer went 13-3 with a 2.95 ERA in 22 games with Quintana in
Mexico this season.

At that point, he wasn't about to give up.

"When I got released in '05, I tried to convince myself I was
done," he said. "I was with Tampa and at the time they were a
struggling organization, that would give young guys a chance and
promote you if you played well. I couldn't even get out of A
ball with them. I thought that was God's way of trying to tell
me that this just isn't it. The problem is I quit physically,
but I never quit mentally."

Cramer became the oldest pitcher in Athletics franchise history
to make a start in his big league debut since Steve Gerkin for
the Philadelphia A's on May 13, 1945.

"When you travel a road as tough as the one he has, I think he's
more appreciative of this opportunity, a little older, more
mature, tougher mentally sometimes than a young kid," A's
manager Bob Geren said. "I'm very happy with him going that deep
into the game and keeping a lead. You'll definitely see him
again."

Andrew Bailey worked the ninth for his 24th save in 27
opportunities.

Jack Cust hit his 100th home run, connecting in the Oakland
sixth off Bryan Bullington.

Mike Aviles homered in the fourth for the only run off Cramer.
Aviles hit his first home run since May 9, a span of 316
at-bats, and finished with three of the Royals' seven hits.

Luke Hochevar (5-5) lost in his first start since missing nearly
three months with a sprained right elbow. He gave up two
unearned runs and two hits in five innings. He walked three and
threw just 39 strikes in 78 pitches.

"I didn't feel like my command was sharp," Hochevar said. "I had
too many three-ball counts. I put myself in that situation. If
I'm on top of my game the defense is going to be there. But when
I'm lulling my defenders to sleep, that's when errors happen.
I'm past the elbow issue. Now it's about executing pitches and
getting batters out."

The A's took advantage of sloppy Royals fielding to take an
early lead.

"I wouldn't even classify it as an eyesore," Royals manager Ned
Yost said of his defense. "It was worse. It wasn't good
baseball. We'd still be out there playing if we hadn't given
them a couple."

In the first inning, Aviles and Hochevar made errors and rookie
catcher Lucas May was charged with a passed ball. Aviles' wild
throw from second base on what could have been a double-play
grounder by Kurt Suzuki allowed Coco Crisp to score.

Crisp began the game reaching on Hochevar's error and stealing
second. Crisp has stolen at least one base in five straight
games, totaling nine in that span, to run his total to a
career-high 32.

Crisp's string of 24 steals ended in the fifth when he was
caught trying to swipe third base.

Royals center fielder Jarrod Dyson, making his first big league
start, dropped Cliff Pennington's fly in the second for an error
that let Aki Iwamura score.

Notes: KC utilityman Willie Bloomquist was pulled from the
starting lineup and traded to the Cincinnati Reds. The Royals
will receive a player to be named or cash. ... The A's
transferred OF-1B Conor Jackson, who had sports hernia surgery
Sept. 1, to the 60-day disabled list to make roster space for
Iwamura, who was signed as a free agent. Iwamura started at
third as 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff missed his seventh straight game
with lower back spasms.

ALAT KANSAS CITY - SCORING UPDATESOLO HOME RUN BY MIKE AVILES (3) TO CENTER WITH 1 OUT IN THE4TH OFF BOBBY CRAMER.CURRENT SCORE: OAKLAND 2, KANSAS CITY 1DUE UP FOR KANSAS CITY: B BUTLER (.312, 0-FOR-1)